Odisha FC is all set to complete the signing of Liridon Krasniqi, IFTWC can confirm. Having spent the last season on loan at Newcastle Jets from JDT, the Malaysian midfielder is now set to join the Juggernauts ahead of the 2021/22 season. He also becomes the first Malaysian to feature in the ISL.
Krasniqi played for Malaysia Super League club Kedah FC from 2015 to 2018 before joining fellow league club Melaka United FC. The 29-year-old was sidelined for most of that season at Melaka due to injuries. The following season, Krasniqi signed for JDT, one of Malaysia’s most successful clubs, and featured in three games for them. He was sent on loan to A-League club Newcastle Jets last year and has featured for the Jets in nine games, coming off the bench in all of them.
Krasniqi has appeared for as many as three countries in his international career. He has played for the junior teams of the Albania National Team as well as for the senior team of Kosovo. He became a naturalized Malaysian player in 2020 and has appeared in four games for the nation so far. He started for Malaysia in all of their last three World Cup Qualifiers games against UAE, Vietnam, and Thailand.
At 6’4″, Krasniqi is an imposing physical footballer who can play both as a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder. Besides his creativity, the 29-year-old midfielder is also adept defensively and is a dependable presence in the center of the field.
Following a disappointing season in which they finished in the bottom half of the table, Odisha FC has decided to sign a completely new set of foreign players. Following the appointment of Kiko Ramirez as their head- coach, Odisha FC has signed Javi Hernandez from ATK Mohun Bagan along with Victor Mongil, Aridai Cabrera, and Hector Rodas. The signing of Liridon Krasniqi will fill the mandatory Asian spot in the squad of the Juggernauts. The Malaysian is expected to play an important role for Odisha FC in the upcoming season.
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